cyberquest

yeah i maybe have painted once or twice before, i actually painted with Farm and Tractor paint and have under $100 in the paint job.

have you looked at pre-made boxes on ebay, i just glanced at 12" single sub ported boxes and they ranged in price from $35 - $80.

cyberquest

reading back over this post to find this statement from you WD. do you still have your factory sub hooked up or is it unhooked and your just tapped into the wiring for it.

i have been window shopping stereo equipment for the Acura and trying to decide what i want to do with it. i wasnt going to do anything because it sound pretty good for a factory system but everytime i drive my sons car, or my wifes pathfinder i get the bass bug since both of their cars have systems in them. so now i am wanting to do a little something to the Acura but i really dont want to get carried away with it.

i was thinking of just replacing the factory sub with a aftermarket one like i have seen some members on here do.....like this. or if i build a box for the trunk i would probably remove the factory sub to let the bass in the cabin without having to have the ski pass open all the time.

WDPinit

Factory sub is still hooked up and the wires are tapped in there. If it won't affect anything, I'll have it disconnected when I add the AudioControl LC7i for running the mono and 2 channel amp I plan to add. The cause for the lack of bass response is because of a few things: Sub is made of paper or cardboard, it's an 8, it's free air, and the OEM amp gives it 80w at best. You and I both like bass, so a drop in won't cut it trust me... Besides, the RL has plenty of trunk space for a nice sized box. Personally, I'd also say using the ski pass would be your better option for a bass port instead of removing the rear sub. In my car, you have to remove the rear seats just to get to the rear deck.

Last thought, have you ever considered an infinite baffle configuration where you use the ski pass to mount a sub and make the trunk your enclosure basically? Some members here have done this with their Acuras, and they seem to be really satisfied. I don't think it's the easiest to do, but you're def capable of it

cyberquest

i dont mind having to remove the rear seats to get to the sub. i know the RL sub setup is a little different from the TL

here is a RL sub setup, it has a small plastic piece around it and it helps channel the sound to the opening in the rear deck shelf. you can see it has foam around the edge of the plastic to help seal it where it meets with the trim piece for the rear deck.



i was doing some peaking on Rockford Fostgate website and ran across a sub they make for a BMW thats a drop in replacement for their subs but to me it looks like almost a exact match to the acruas sub and i wonder if it would fit. its part of their Power series which is their top of line models. the plug is slightly different but it looks like it just uses a two prong connector and it would be simple enough to use spade connectors to make it work. sadly the price tag on this bad boy is almost $300......for $300 i could put one hell of a setup in the trunk...lol.



so since that sub is out of my price range this is what i was thinking of going with, its a 8" Pioneer shallow mount sub and it can run in free air so it would be perfectly suited to replace the factory sub. its also a dual 2ohm sub so i could run it at 1ohm and i bet it would sound pretty good. the thing with the acura is i dont want a super loud system in it, i just want a little more boom in the stereo. the factory sub has almost enough sound per say but when playing some heavier bass songs you can really here it starting to push it past its limits.

WDPinit

Yeah, those Rockford Fosgates are designed to fit under BMW seats so I don't think they'd fit anyway lol. With the Pioneer, I'd be careful running it at 1 ohm since it'd be drawing more from the OEM amp. When I was in between subs, I actually had the factory sub turned up on the head unit and that thing would clip and distort songs as a whole, not just the bass notes. I would think running a sub at a lower impedance would have a similar effect. Still, that's a TL and not an RL. Acuras usually follow somewhat of a pattern and share many components among models, though.

I still think you should look into infinite baffle. Just invest in a decent 12 such as the Kappa like I have (SonicElectronix should sell you it for around $130 if you choose the make offer button) and you'll get a really nice, flat response and minimal space loss with it using the ski pass or rear deck. Crazy efficient, too, so one of those 200w or so amps you have laying around will work perfectly.

Bchester6

1 ohm on OEM amp= BAD.
If you're not looking to replace the OEM amp then Bazooka subs, believe it or not, have the most efficient woofers on the market (104db and 106db) and can be had for less than $100. What's even more crazy is that they sound better than most woofers triple the cost. I'm not talking about the tube enclosure set up but only the replacement woofers themselves. I've placed these in a few of my friends vehicles and ran them off the OEM amp (100-200 watts) and they will surprise the hell out of you. I have a lot of money and time invested in my vehicles with "high end" car audio because that's just what I love to do but if I wanted to just add "depth" to an existing OEM system without breaking your back and wallet... I recommend that you keep it simple and inexpensive.

WDPinit

I think Bchester's idea sounds pretty good lol.

I'm sorry guys, but I am really lost on this whole enclosure thing. Those enclosure calculators online make no sense to me haha. Here's the link to the Infinity specs: http://se.infinityspeakers.com/tl_fi...0-9w_PI_EN.pdf

Once I get the measurements and understand how to place the port, I'll be fine.

cyberquest

i was NOT going to try and run a aftermarket sub with the factory amp, my fault for not saying that. i would bypass the factory amp completely. finding a amp that is 1ohm stable but has a low power rating will be the tricky part since the pioneer sub is only rated at 150 rms.

i wont be doing anything with the rest of the factory system so i dont want the sub to overpower everything else. not to mention my navigation screen doesnt work so i have no control over the bass, mid, and high adjustments. i hope to get the navigation system sent back to Alpine at tax time and get it repaired so i can gain those functions back as well as full control of the ac/heater.

WD the box programs just appear over complicated building just a simple round port box is the next easiest box to build next to a sealed box. according to the link you posted it says you need 2cf of space and a 4" port thats 13 5/8" long. so you build a square/rectangle box that has 2 cf, use a hole saw and cut a 4" hole in the box and then insert your 4" round 13 5/8" long port and your done.

i need to download a screenshot program and i could help you better understand the slot port boxes and how to enter in your subs info.

Bchester6

Ah gotcha. Sounds like you will need a bass knob at least to control this aspect of your music since the rest is what it is... Why don't you wire in series (2 ohm DVC) and arrive at a 4 ohm final load? The options for useable amps that will fit this configuration go up tremendously. A small 2 channel (bridged) would be perfect for what you're looking for.

WDPinit

Cyber, you may want to take a look at this amp: https://www.atrendusa.com/amplifiers-car-audio-amplifiers-zapco-usa-atrend-atrend-distributes-zapco-amplifiers-20

I'm planning to use this to power my front stage, but you can bridge it to do 180w rms at 4 ohms, something your sub can handle with it being dual 2 ohm. It's a little more power than you want, but Zapco amps are known for providing good, clean power. $100 is not a bad price for a Zapco product either.

In regards to the box, thanks for clearing it up on the port. Lol I tried those programs and put it the correct measurements, but always seemed to get a box of 3 cuft+. With a 4 in wide port and 2 cuft box, would the total length of the box across be 28 in?

Bchester6

Zapco used to be the benchmark for all high end systems. Not the same company but still a reputable name in the car audio industry. For 100$ you really don't have anything to lose. The point is you have many options out there for what you're looking for.

WDPinit

There are also 2 channels from Pioneer that give you the same amount of power for around $70. I compared specs and the Zapco is defintely worth the little extra. Total harmonic distortion (THD) is half or less than that of the Pioneer (<0.5 vs. 1%) and Signal to noise ratio is 98 dB vs. 75 at the most with the Pioneer.

Bchester, I feel like all companies are "not the same as they used to be." With outsourcing and so much competition nowadays it's not a surprise. I feel like RF has especially fell victim. They used to known for high quality stuff and their Power series was known for components geared toward people who really wanted good sound. Now their stuff is just focused on getting loud.

Bchester6

That's quite an astute observation young man! Long gone are the days of handcrafted Electronics in the car audio Realm and the companies that do charge an arm and a leg. This is where I tell you why I use all OS gear for all my installations cuz it's just better but I won't because it usually starts a pissing match. The truth of the matter is quality was superseded for power hungry bass heads and then it became a race to see who could blow shit up first with the loudest gear. It all basically boils down to watts per dollar and the quality of that watt is negligible because we live in times where more is better. I will give modern-day car Electronics a nod in the efficiency Department but other than that it's aesthetically ugly and Lacks craftsmanship. All of the main companies that have lasted Through Time like RF,PG,PPI,MTX, Zapco, etc.. have great origin stories that are worth reading about and are the reason why we're talking about the topic of high fidelity car audio right now . Haha that's my spiel and now I'm done.

Bchester6

They don't even put gold terminal screws on the amps these days! Everybody knows that gold is the best electrical conductor you can use. Now I'm done.

WDPinit

I think old school equipment is definitely better quality on average. While not always easy to find online, the stuff definitely lasts longer than a lot of the newer stuff. Kicker is a great example of one of those brands where "quality was superseded for power hungry bass heads" as you said. Kicker used to be pretty decent from what I heard, but all their stuff now is just for SPL. Tell me, have you heard anyone say that a recent Kicker sub has good sound quality? They just appeal to the younger guys in my age range who just want to make a lot of noise with their flashy cone designs. Flashy and cheap looking I might add. I like strong bass as well, but I want it to sound clean! JL is another brand that kind of bothers me. They make good stuff, but they are quite overpriced. This is their marketing strategy: We are a well known brand, and we're known for quality shit. Let's advertise by bragging and exaggerating how much better we are than mainstream competitors. When we advertise like that, we can charge much more than necessary.
Then, you have those few brands who still really do it right. In particular, Zapco and Image Dynamics. Their stuff is definitely not cheap, but you really get what you pay for. Stuff is often cheaper than comparable products because you aren't paying for a big name or a cool design. Zapco amps look slightly dated or bland, but they perform really well. Same goes for lmage Dynamics, simple looks, awesome performance. ID Max 12 is just as good, prob better than the 12 JL W7, but at least $300 cheaper...

Bchester6

Old High School Kicker was badass. Very sound quality oriented much like most equipment from that generation. Alpine was very good back in the day as well. I could go on and on but all these companies at one time took pride in what they were making and it felt like it was intended for us the audio enthusiasts. Interestingly enough, the more you read the more you will find out that most of the founders of these companies did collaborations with other companies in the industry to bring you even more specialized audiophile equipment. Meaning the industry gurus shared designs with one another for the benefit of the consumer so at one time or another during the company's history they had exceptional Electronics. This is why that time period is often referred to as the Golden Era of car audio. Hell Pyle and Pyramid had high quality stuff at one time! JL gets a ton of pub for their stuff but all I can say is there are a lot better options for seekers of sound quality. they are decent but their Niche is high-end mainstream market which they truly own and have for years now. Image Dynamics and zapco are the next level and should be relatively compared.

cyberquest

you guys all done strolling down memory lane.....lol. the other thing i liked about old school stuff is the amps had some personality, meaning each company had their own style to their amps and they didnt all look the same. i remember the old precision power amps from the 80s and 90s those things were like works of art.

Now most companies have their "good" line of equipment and their "average" line. Rockford Fosgate is a good example because they have their Prime series which are their low buck amps, then they have their Punch series and if you got some serious money then they have the Power series. They also have a sister company called Lighting Audio which has even cheaper and lower end equipment. Rockfords stuff used to sound so much better because they only had one line of products and they spent the time to make them sound as good as possible.

and for the plans for my car with the dual 2ohm sub i do have a small Pioneer amp that would work perfect for the sub and its a 2 channel that can run at 2ohms per channel un-bridged or at 4ohms when bridged. i kinda figured i would use this amp to start off with since i already have it and i was going to run it the same way we are running the Rockford amp in my sons car with his dual 2ohm sub. we have one channel running to one voice coil and one channel running to the other, that way each coil is running at 2ohms. but most 2 channel amps are AB class where most mono amps are D class which are much more efficent.

i just ordered my son a new Skar RP-350.1D amp to go with his 8" Skar sub, i have used several of the Skar subs but this will be the first time hearing one of their amps. the amp is rated at 150w rms @ 4ohm, 250w rms @ 2ohms, and 350w @ 1ohm and since his sub is a dual 2ohm rated at 400w rms it should be a pretty good match for his sub. its also one of the new "smaller" amps and this thing is about 6.5" long and wide so its a pretty compact amp. i got it off of ebay for $89.99 with free shipping so fairly good price as well. since it runs 150w @ 4ohms it would also make a good amp to run the Pioneer sub if i go that route.

WDPinit

Yeah, I'd just use what amp you already have. Like you said, class AB's are not the most efficient, which concerns me a bit. For speakers, is this usually not as big of an issue especially when you're running at 2 ohms?

Also, my dumbass finally figured out the box dimensions thanks to Crutchfield's guide. Looks like my internal dimensions are going to be 24x12x12 as this will give me 2 cuft. For the outside, 25.5x13.5x 13.5 since I'll be using 3/4" MDF. Now to decide whether to use a tube or slot port... Cyber, you've given me the pros and cons of both and neither really sound much more difficult than the other either lol

cyberquest

you will need to account for speaker displacement (the space the speaker takes up inside the box) and the space your port takes up. i would take your outside measurements to 25x14x14 which would give you a total of 2.106 cf, but taking into account the speaker displacement and the port space for a round port 4" you internal space would be 2.008 cf.

like you say neither are really that hard to build, the one advantage to the slot port is you dont have to by the tube like you would for the round port. the slot port is just made with the same sheet of wood you make the box with.

WDPinit

Thank you, it looks like I overlooked that haha. Are you sure this needs to be accounted for, as the 2.0 cuft suggested by Infinity already includes the displacement for both? The only thing drawing me away from slot port is the small possibility for error...

cyberquest

using this program it leaves almost no room for error.
On-Axis Bass Reflex Enclosure Calculator - DB DYNAMIX AUDIO

these are you Driver Specifications.

# of Drivers = 1
FS = 27.20
QTS = 0.46
VAS = 1.92
Speaker Displacement = 0.19 (kappa doesnt give displacement on the link you posted but most 12's are around 0.19)

here is a screen shot of your speaker specs added to the slot port program i use. notice is gives you all the measurements you need to cut your pieces of wood. first you would enter in your Driver Specs, then put in your outside box dimensions...then you can see in where it says Enclosure Specifications it shows you the Cubic Feet the box will have and what FZ (frequency) it will be tuned at. to adjust the tuning frequency just play around with the slot port width number. in this screenshot to get your box tuned down to 33.9 your slot port width would be 1 1/4" wide which sounds like a narrow port but keep in mind the port would also be 13.5" tall.

WDPinit

Thanks a lot. I tried that a couple nights ago and must've messed something up, most likely with driver displacement lol. I used the correct sheet so idk what I did wrong haha. Since you said tuning frequency can be modified, I guess 30hz would work without much issue? The feature giving the lengths of everything you need is really helpful.

In total, it appears that you need 8 pieces to create the full shape. I drew a simple picture, because I have a question about the piece circled and don't know how to explain this well lol. Where do you get the measurement for this piece?

cyberquest

i forgot you were going to do a L-Slot design, that screenshot was for just a straight port box like this one.


for the L-Slot box you would use this one. and it will have the same color coded pics to show where each piece goes.
http://dbdynamixaudio.com/l-slot-ven...re-calculator/

i like your sketch because i always sketch out my boxes before i build them, i like using graph paper because the squares can indicate measurements. i typically use one of the squares to equal two inches so i can get a basic idea of how the box will look. i have sketches of all the boxes i have built over the past couple years.




here is one that i have a pic of the finished product.



here it is installed in my friends car that i built it for.

WDPinit

I really like how you use the graph paper not only does it give you the ability to accurately scale as you said, it looks much better and you can do 3d better. Your hand writing is pretty good haha, just wanted to add that bec mine is horrible!

​I'm sorry about not putting the info in on the site myself and pulling up the box image they color code. I've been really busy with doing work because the semester is almost over. The color coded image of my box you showed was like the original drawing of mine. I was just thrown off by the fact that upon searching "slot port" on Google many ports had an L shape as opposed to the straight line of my port. What is the reason for that?

WDPinit

Also a big fan of the look of that box in your friend's car. What did you paint/finish it with?

cyberquest

my friends box is coated with truck bed coating made by Duplicolor, same thing i coat most of my boxes with because it has a nice texture to it and since its made to protect the bed of truck from abuse its pretty durable.

i really think the main purpose of the L- Slot ported box is that the port can be longer so you can get the box tuned to a lower frequency. your kappa sub recommends a 4" port thats 13" long, if your box is only 10" deep then the port would be too long to actually fit inside the box. with the L-Port it allows you to extend the port length inside the box.

and thanks for the hand writing compliment it comes from years of taking Drafting in school way before CAD was around, back then everything was drawn by hand and you had to do all the lettering by hand. I actually got a promotion at a job once because my hand writing is neat, if i take my time a little more i can make letters almost perfect. talk about a useless skill to have....lol.

cyberquest

here is a good example of how a port takes up space inside the box with a L-Slot or Labyrinth box. (some also call them folded ports)

here you can see how the port goes back and forth on this labyrinth box i built.


now if we look at the box like this the green area is USABLE air space for the subwoofer, once the port starts where its red is all space used by the port. so if you were going with this style of box the 2 cf that you need for you sub would be the green area so you could imagine how big the box would be knowing you need a box 14x25x14 to get that 2 cf of space. this box pictured was for a 8" sub that called for 1 cf of space so the green area here is only 1 cf and this box was 10x30x16 for a single 8" sub.


the box was made for the same car as the box i made for my friend with his two 8" Kicker subs, his box was basically a round port box only the port was rectangle instead of round but the port was only about 10" long and you see his box is much smaller for two 8" subs in a ported box. with this labyrinth box it takes up a lot of space but the sound from it was amazing, well it was amazing at placing super low teeth rattling bass anyway.


and this is the stuff i use to coat the outside of the boxes.

WDPinit

Ah, now it makes sense. The L shape is to extend the length of the port. Would that box builder do that in the design image ? And generally with these ported boxes, do they still have that clean sound required for rock since they're built properly? I dislike how sealed blends and hope ported will give that more "upfront" sound haha.

Do you work in auto body, specifically in painting? You have that spray gun in the pic and you also did a real good job painting your son's car. Just wondering lol

Bchester6

Cyber, do you use a subsonic filter with this type of enclosure?

cyberquest

WD - yes i do paint and bodywork for a living, right now i work for a Truck and Equipment company that buys and sells heavy duty trucks, front end loaders, dump trucks, and all kinds of stuff including semi trucks. i havent had any professional training but my dad did bodywork and paint for 35 years so i was always around it as a kid and a adult and i just kind of picked it up from him over the years working on my own cars. here is one of the trucks i recently painted the truck was white and the buyer wanted the truck painted red.





and here it is finished and put back together.



and about your question on ported boxes. if you use the L Slot program that i posted the link for it will show the same kind of color coded box to help guide you.


ported boxes produce good bass just like a sealed box, but they really come alive with some heavy bass songs. i was telling my son i didnt think the new box was as loud as the original box we had in it, then he turned on some Bass Mechanic and hole sheep shit it pounds like a mother. with rock and stuff you can still hear it has a nice sub and amp installed but its not as predominate as the lower tones of rap style songs. his box is tuned around 30hz and that may be why his doesnt sound as strong in the 70-80hz tones since its tuned to play much lower notes.. maybe Bchester6 can chime in and give his opinions of the ported boxes vs sealed boxes with listening to rock music.

Bchester6 - yes i use the subsonic filter if the amp has one, my wifes box in her car is a square port box and is tuned at 38hz i believe so i have her subsonic filter set around 38hz. from what i understand mostly from just reading on the internet that a ported box tuning frequency is the point where the subwoofer isnt supported by the port below the point the box is tuned to. meaning since my wifes box is tuned at 38hz i want to keep out tones lower then that because its past the tuning frequency and the subwoofer isnt supported by the box and can damage the speaker. and again that how i understand it from reading its possible i am wrong in the way i understand box tuning frequency and the use of the subsonic filter.

WDPinit

My biggest dilemma right now with my system is def with port tuning. I am one of those people who listens to everything haha. My music is prob 35% rap, 35% electronic, 25% rock, and 5% other like country and etc. It's like, do I want to tune right down to 30 Hz, but lack some impact with rock? With an amp for the front stage and Roadkill Extreme on the doors my mids should be pretty strong for rock I would think. Can't imagine the higher bass would be any quieter than current lol.

Bchester6

So my experience with ported boxes is that is subsonic filter is highly recommended so that your amplifier and subwoofer are protected from infrasonic damage. Your subwoofer and amp have "mechanical limits" meaning it shouldn't be playing frequencies that it's not capable of playing. I have seen first-hand what these unwanted frequencies can do to an amplifier and subwoofer when not accounted for. I myself personally have never found that ported enclosures play with the type of accuracy that I prefer. Keep in mind that this is all subjective to The Listener and vehicle specific applications. I used sealed enclosures in my vehicles because I own hatchbacks/wagons so inaccuracies are audible to me the listener as it is not being hindered by a back seat or any other barriers. Sealed enclosures though not having the same output as ported, don't present some of the tuning challenges that you're dealing with . Having said that, I have done installations where ported enclosures produce high quality sound reproduction with appropriate tuning. Having a front stage with capable components that can be crossed over at a lower frequency (70 hz or less) can certainly help with proper blending. My advice would be 2 keep in mind your equipment capabilities and devise your system accordingly and remember that with every system comes a little bit of compromise due to the acoustical challenges of vehicles.

WDPinit

With a 30hz tune, is a the subsonic as necessary, though? Most songs don't go below 30 hz and you usually have 5 hz or so below tuning of leeway, if I'm not mistaken. For the barriers in sedans, do you prefer ported in that case? Also, what do you consider "appropriate tuning" for such an enclosure? I just need all the info I can get at this point lol.

I'm not 100% sure of the exact crossover point of my mids, but they can play a 70hz test tone without issue. Can rattle the doors like hell, but Roadkill will fix that haha

Bchester6

IMO when subs are being placed in a trunk then I lean towards ported enlcosure types due to inherited output advantages. Hatchbacks, wagons and trucks/SUV I go sealed. Tuning is a term I loosely throw around to describe the use of x-over slopes, points, frequency spike/dips compensation, etc... outside of physical speaker placement this is an aspect that should be taken seriously to achieve proper sound but this more "finish work" after everything is placed.

Bchester6

A quick google search yielded this blurb about use of subsonic filters. Good read.
A subsonic filter is basically a High Pass Filter for very low frequencies, generally 45hz or lower. That is, whatever you set it at; only frequencies above that setting go through. Anything below that setting is attenuated (made quieter).
As only frequencies higher than your setting pass its a high pass filter.
A subsonic frequency is very low, so low the human ear can barely detect it, but your body can feel it. Because you cant hear it, and they're prone to damaging woofers, filtering subsonics is a desirable characteristic in subwoofer amplifiers.
A subsonic filter is used differently in sealed enclosures than in ported.



In a sealed box: The lower the frequency, the more excursion your subwoofer exhibits in order to play it loudly and accurately. A sealed box is tuned by enclosure volume, larger enclosures tune lower, smaller enclosures tune higher.
Subsonic frequencies potentially damage your subwoofer because they make it expend a lot of energy, travel right to the limits of its excursion and play below the enclosures tuning.
So for safety, we want to cut those frequencies out. For a sealed enclosure you adjust the subsonic filter to 25-35 Hz, to filter the extremely low bass frequencies your woofers unable to play.


In a ported box: You tune the port to a certain frequency, the enclosure is then capable of playing all frequencies above that tuning without an issue. The enclosure can also play below that frequency, but only half an octave, before the cone starts over-excurting and there's potential for damage.
So for safety, we set the subsonic to 1/2 an octave below our tuned frequency. Whats half an octave you say ? Lets do some maths ! One octave up is double the frequency, One octave down is half the frequency.
Lets say you are tuned to 45 Hz:
- 45 Hz / 2 = 22.5 Hz (one octave lower)
- 22.5 Hz /2 = 11.25 Hz (half an octave lower)
So we take 45 - 11.25 = 33.75 Hz (rounded up to 34 Hz)


In other words, you set your sub-sonic to 34 hz. So that way, if there's music below the ports frequency, it gets filtered out protecting your woofer.
Always remember the subsonic filter is NOT a cut-off. It has a roll off "slope" where whatever frequency its set to will be attenuated, and the attenuation effect increases as the frequencies get lower. Thus the power to the woofer decreases at filtered fequencies, which reduces the excursion and risk of damage.

As a final note for the audio geeks: Subsonic filters have steep slopes such as 3rd or 4th order(18 or 24dB/Oct) this is so u can set it nice and close to your 1/2 octave frequency, or 25-35 Hz sealed, without losing power in the neighboring frequencies

WDPinit

Interesting... I was actually reading that article this morning lol. I definitely see the necessity of one, but finding either a line out converter with it is too expensive for me and $40 or $50 for just an equalizer or crossover just doesn't seem worthwhile.

​​​​​​Since you do installs, is there any particular brand of sound deadening you do/don't recommend? Roadkill seems like the most cost effective option

Bchester6

Yeah that sums it up as good as it's going to get. As far as sound dampening materials go I found that the cheapest is the most effective haha. Roadkill is as good as any other. To me there really is not a whole lot of difference between the brands. I doubt any of them have a technical team that's constantly working on improving their products. The stuff isn't rocket science

cyberquest

so you going to go buy some wood and build a box already or what?? LOL

my sons Skar amp came in the mail yesterday, its a 350w D class amp thats 1 ohm stable and is half the size of the 300w Rockford amp he is using now. i just have to wait until xmas to give it to him and get it hooked up so i can hear how it sounds. i have been working on a small floating amp rack at work for it to sit on in the trunk but havent done any test fitting with it yet.

i will also be adding a Kinetik 600w Power Cell to the trunk so the amp can pull its peak power from this battery instead of the main battery. at night time his lights dim a good amount when the bass hits and this should solve that problem. next step will be to upgrade his alternator from the 65 amp one thats in it now to a 90 amp that costs just a little more and is a direct bolt it.

WDPinit

Haha Cyber I'm pretty busy with school right now, so I haven't had time to build my box. My break starts on the 15th so I'm going to start around then. Maybe I can get my dad to buy a sub for his car if I give him my old box lol.

It's pretty cool that you're hands on with supporting your son with car audio. My dad bitches about me spending the $ but he said he'll help me with the box a bit haha

The floating amp racks look cool and clean, but I'm sure they aren't incredibly simple to build! You'll have to show us pics.

The fact that his lights dim heavily, much less at all on 300w is surprising.

cyberquest

my dad has never been a big fan of my car stereo passion, but its pretty much his fault i am a bass head. my dad is a drummer and when i was little i used to actually fall asleep inside his bass drum while he was playing and beating away on the drum. and since i am a bass head naturally my son picked up on it, i have always had a system in my car since the day he was born. i am 42 now and i am still a bass head

the floating amp rack is actually pretty simple.....well it seems that way so far, hopefully it will have the effect i want it to. i will be sure to get pics of it, as you can see i have pics of just about everything. i am also not sure why his lights are dimming so bad other then the amp being older and probably draws a little more power then newer amps, the alternator or battery also may be going bad.